Ger"man, a. [L. Germanus. See
German, n.] Of or pertaining to
Germany.
German Baptists. See Dunker. --
German bit, a wood-boring tool, having a long
elliptical pod and a scew point. -- German
carp (Zoöl.), the crucian carp. --
German millet (Bot.), a kind of millet
(Setaria Italica, var.), whose seed is sometimes used for
food. -- German paste, a prepared food for
caged birds. -- German process
(Metal.), the process of reducing copper ore in a blast
furnace, after roasting, if necessary. Raymond. --
German sarsaparilla, a substitute for
sarsaparilla extract. -- German sausage, a
polony, or gut stuffed with meat partly cooked. --
German silver (Chem.), a silver-white
alloy, hard and tough, but malleable and ductile, and quite permanent
in the air. It contains nickel, copper, and zinc in varying
proportions, and was originally made from old copper slag at
Henneberg. A small amount of iron is sometimes added to make it
whiter and harder. It is essentially identical with the Chinese alloy
packfong. It was formerly much used for tableware, knife
handles, frames, cases, bearings of machinery, etc., but is now
largely superseded by other white alloys. -- German
steel (Metal.), a metal made from bog iron ore
in a forge, with charcoal for fuel. -- German
text (Typog.), a character resembling modern
German type, used in English printing for ornamental headings, etc.,
as in the words,
☞ This line is German
Text.
-- German tinder. See
Amadou.
Ger"man, n.; pl.
Germans (#) [L. Germanus, prob. of Celtis
origin.] 1. A native or one of the people of
Germany.
2. The German language.
3. (a) A round dance, often
with a waltz movement, abounding in capriciosly involved
figures. (b) A social party at which the
german is danced.
High German, the Teutonic dialect of Upper
or Southern Germany, -- comprising Old High German, used from
the 8th to the 11th century; Middle H. G., from the 12th to
the 15th century; and Modern or New H. G., the language of
Luther's Bible version and of modern German literature. The dialects
of Central Germany, the basis of the modern literary language, are
often called Middle German, and the Southern German dialects
Upper German; but High German is also used to cover
both groups. -- Low German, the language
of Northern Germany and the Netherlands, -- including Friesic;
Anglo-Saxon or Saxon; Old Saxon; Dutch or
Low Dutch, with its dialect, Flemish; and
Plattdeutsch (called also Low German), spoken in many
dialects.
Ger"man (?), a. [OE. german,
germain, F. germain, fr. L. germanus full, own
(said of brothers and sisters who have the same parents); akin to
germen germ. Cf. Germ, Germane.] Nearly
related; closely akin.
Wert thou a leopard, thou wert german to the
lion.
Shak.
Brother german. See Brother
german. -- Cousins german. See the
Note under Cousin.